1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to shelves and, more specifically, to adjustable storage shelves for use in the refrigerated food industry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The concept of shelves and slidable shelves for a refrigerator are old in the art as evidenced by the Kesling U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,954 which discloses a refrigerator shelf which slides into another half shelf to allow tall articles, such as bottles, to be placed on a lower shelf of the refrigerator.
The Sheer U.S. Pat. No. 1,504,522 and the Pattison U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,072 both show shelves which are slidably supported by stationary frames mounted to the cabinets. The Hall et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,241,854 has shelves which are made of perforated material and provided with a lip at the end of the shelf. Still another prior art patent is the Williams et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,601,652 which discloses a refrigerator shelf having a baffle under a display screen, the baffle aiding in air circulation in the cabinet.
The Weber U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,039 shows a refrigerated self-storage case having rigid shelves for holding articles in the case. The Dill U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,371 shows a shelf with a removable front panel for freezer use.
From a review of these prior art patents, it is apparent that the present invention comprises an improvement for use in commercial refrigeration storage cases by providing an adjustable shelf which accommodates different size refrigeration units as well as providing means for cooling the goods located on the shelf. The shelf also includes means for holding the goods in a highly visible position so it can be readily seen by a purchaser.